- In 1774, the British Parliament initiated a series of laws to penalize the Massachusetts colony in response to the Boston Tea Party. These laws became known as the Intolerable Acts.
- The coercive measures included Boston Port Act, which led to the closure of Boston Harbor until compensation for the destroyed tea was made.
American Response:
- The Intolerable Acts sparked indignation among the American colonies. Several colonies showed support for Massachusetts by convening committees and preparing for any potential military conflict.
Call for Military Action:
- On April 19, 1775, news reached Boston that British forces in Lexington and Concord were planning to confiscate colonial firearms and arrest Patriot leaders.
- The Massachusetts Committee of Safety called upon militia units to assemble in preparation for a confrontation.
British Deployment:
- In response, General Thomas Gage, the British commander in chief, planned to dispatch a force to capture and destroy an arms cache in Concord.
Battles of Lexington and Concord:
- On April 19, 1775, British troops clashed with colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord, initiating the American Revolutionary War.
- Although the engagements resulted in British victories, they served as a wake-up call for the need to fortify Boston and defend against potential British movements.
Colonists' Fortification:
- Following the battles, Patriot leaders began fortifying the hills surrounding Boston, particularly Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill.
- On June 16, 1775, Colonel William Prescott led a group of soldiers to fortify Breed's Hill while simultaneously sending a smaller contingent to the nearby Bunker Hill.
British Response:
- The British, alarmed by the activity on Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill, made preparations to engage in a full-scale battle to retake the positions.
- This eventually led to the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, which ended in a British victory. Despite this, the American military managed to inflict significant casualties on the British.